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Hillforts in the Chilterns Landscape

Introductory Meet & Greets14th & 15th July 2018

Henley on Thames – Redbourn – Pitstone – High Wycombe

Chilterns Conservation BoardChilterns are one of 46 AONBs in UK, established in 1965

CCB established by Parliamentary Order in 2004

• To conserve and enhance natural beauty

• To promote understanding and enjoyment of special qualities

• To promote social and economic well being

The Beacons of the Past project3.5 years, part HLF Funded, part matched funding from the Chiltern Society, the National Trust, local county and parish councils, and private donors.

Three aims or “beacons” – discovery, learning, protection.

LiDAR survey as key component

Focus on the Iron Age hillforts of the Chilterns

Three BeaconsBeacon of Discovery

LiDARGeophysicsExcavationSurvey

Beacon of LearningTraining volunteersSchool workshops/community eventsAugmented reality appsNew interpretation boards

Beacon of ProtectionConservation managementHeritage WatchEcological survey

West Wycombe hillfort

J Morris

Hillforts of the Chilterns*

*Not all hillforts…

Sharpenhoe Clappers Maiden Bower

Pulpit Hill Courtesy C Rose

Chilterns hillforts are varied

Boddington Hillfort Large (c. 6 ha.) Univallate

Pulpit Hillfort Small (< 1 ha.) Bivallate

Courtesy C Rose

Why so varied?

A British Holocene Calendar – Hillforts are constructed largely from end of September to Late October, a greater chunk of time than what separated the 1940s prefab from Windsor Castle – yet we could label both as ‘houses’. This highlights the difficulty of the label ‘hillfort!

Wikimedia Commons licence

P Shreeves, Creative Commons licence

Why are we looking at them Limited knowledge Neglect / damage Inappropriate management Variable public access Lack of interpretation Low public awareness Limited public engagement

Mature trees at Cholesbury Camp

courtesy C Rose

Neglect / lack of management

Desborough Castle Fly tipping and fallen trees

Ravensburgh Castle Trees and undergrowth

courtesy C Rose

Damage

Whelpley Hill Virtually ploughed out

Ivinghoe Beacon Erosion scars

courtesy C Rose

Damage

Pulpit Hill Beech trees on banks

© John Morris

© CADW

What is LiDAR?“Light Detection and Ranging”, aka “Airborne Laser Scanning”

A survey technique developed in the 1960s, and first used in meteorology. Used in 1971 by the Apollo 15 astronauts to map the surface of the moon.

Used since the turn of the millennium for archaeology: Discovery of new sites; Increased knowledge and better locational accuracy of known sites;Visualisation of features thought destroyed by ploughing; Filtering of vegetation for survey in woodland.

Stonehenge Cursus west end and the Fargo Plantation. Figs. 2 and 3 from Bewley et al. (2005) “New light on an ancient landscape: lidar survey in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site” Antiquity 79: 636-647

What is LiDAR?A plane flying across a landscape, with a laser scanner sending pulses of light down to the ground, and sensing the reflections from whatever those pulses hit.

Up to 1 MHz pulse rate.100-200 Hz scan rate (side to side).

Combination of:GPS (global positioning system)IMU (inertial measurement unit)plus sensor calculations of time taken for pulses to be reflected

… gives us accurate 3D location for everything off which the laser bounces.

Credit: NOS/NCCOS/CCMA, reused under a creative commons licence

What is LiDAR?Multiple returns with differing energy levels.

Credit: NEON Science, reused under a creative commons licence

What is LiDAR?Point clouds

Credit: NEON Science, reused under a creative commons licence

LiDAR VisualisationsRelief Model

LiDAR Data: Environment Agency; Map Data: Ordnance Survey; Aerial Photograph: APGB.

Boddington Camp, Wendover Woods

LiDAR VisualisationsRelief Model

Boddington Camp, Wendover Woods


LiDAR VisualisationsSingle Directional Hillshade


LiDAR VisualisationsMulti Directional Hillshade


LiDAR VisualisationsSky View Factor


LiDAR VisualisationsLocal Relief Model


1300 km2

0.25m resolution

Flown between Nov 2018- Feb 2019

Processed visualisations will be available through the online portal from May 2019

Ways to get involved

Digital Volunteering Practical Volunteering

Skills training throughout

Digital VolunteeringDatabase management and feature recording with GISArchival research for the sites and vicinities of the hillfortsCrowdsourced LiDAR digitisation

Practical VolunteeringArchaeological

Field SurveyTopographical SurveyGeophysical SurveyExcavationPalaeo-Environmental CoringGround Truthing LiDAR Results Visitor Surveys

EnvironmentalScrub ClearanceFootpath MaintenanceHedge LayingSite Clean-upsErosion SurveysWildlife Surveys

Field Survey: Michigan State University -https://msu.edu/~aarondan/methodsofarchaeology.htm




Magnetometry survey from Hod Hill, Dorset: Stewart and Russell (2018)




Scrub Clearance: Chilterns Conservation Board

More information

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Visit our website:www.chilternsaonb.org

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